The Awakening
by Phoenix Princess555
Summary: The X men will go to the ends to save the day, but when their universe collides with the Wizarding World, what will happen next? AU.
1. Demonic Beginnings

Alright this is my story about Harry Potter, the X-Men, and Avengers. Tell me if you like it! This will be AU (characters based around comics and evo): Ororo/Storm will be a teenager along with the others, Jean/Phoenix, and Kitty/ Shadowcat. Rogue and Wanda will also be comic based and Avengers movie based. Of note, many of the characters will be much younger, around 20's or teenagers respectively.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Marvel (the X-Men and Avengers) and any of the Harry Potter characters.**

**I really want to thank my beta, ****Eris R. Lebeau, for helping me get back into writing! You are awesome. **

Now on with the story:

**Demonic Beginnings**

* * *

Glass shattered from a skyscraper's window as a massive purple form plummeted to the asphalt streets of New York City. "Illyana!" the Russian mutant bellowed. Poitr Rasputin charged forward in his metallic armor along the main strip of Times Square, barreling through the demonic forms that projected themselves at him. He needed to reach his dear sister, Magik.

"Colossus!" Kitty Pryde yelled as she watched an attack narrowly miss her teammate. He ducked just in time as a claw swiped past his head, squatting low only to jump back up with full force to knock the demon to the ground.

In her moment of distraction, Kitty let out a grunt as a raptor-like demon tackled her to the ground, red claws only inches from her face. The muscles in her arms burned as she struggled against the force of the demon. She found herself becoming outmatched in strength as the claws inched closer. Concentrating on her surroundings, she began to phase but instead felt a hurtling sensation. The stench and smog of brimstone clouded around her for a mere second as she felt her body become weightless. The feeling passed as she looked up into the face of the fuzzy blue teenager, Kurt Wagner.

"_Ach Mein Gott_!" The pair teleported again as Kurt found a group of demons about to pounce and grabbed onto Kitty's shoulders. He focused their destination to the entrance of an alleyway nearby. "Who would think ve would see creatures like this again. This is vorst than the Saddie Hawkins' dance!"

"This is a nightmare," Kitty whispered.

xx

On the streets, the X-Men Scott Summers and Jean Grey barely managed to arrive at the spot where Shadowcat had disappeared before finding themselves in a full blown attack. Jean raised her arm to project a telekinetic blast, creating an invisible wall in the path of an oncoming demon as Cyclops' optic blasts threw a few onto their backs. As Jean watched Colossus' retreating form vanish into the smog, disbelief marred her features.

"What happened to Times Square?" Jean paused for a moment as she straightened her stance. Thick haze enclosed the atmosphere, making it difficult to see anything more than a few meters ahead. Even shrouded, the metropolitan area was unrecognizable. Every ordinary thing had been replaced by a demonic structure. Buildings twisted in every direction, cracking open to form monstrous mouths full of shattered glass and metal. Deserted street cars and lampposts were now animated by some wicked force. The objects contorted themselves into creature-like shapes, snapping and snarling as they attacked any passersby. The pavement had buckled and the buildings lurched in manic directions. This was a cold-sweated nightmare, a dreadful purgatory unleashed on Manhattan.

"What we need is a strategy," Cyclops shouted into the sounds of demonic growls and mutant powers blasting everywhere. "We need to divide ourselves in order to get to Magik! Our group should advance forward to the center of Times Square, the New Mutants should hold up the demon front here—"

"Scott, no. This is becoming too much, especially for the younger mutants," Jean warned. She gazed at the battle ensuing behind them.

xx

The New Mutants had their hands full with multiple demonic objects and creatures pursuing them. Amara Aquilla barely saved the lupine form of Rahne Sinclair, blasting the red reptilian demon from Rahne's back. Another came at Amara and took the lava girl down. Jamie Madrox was farther back with several clones of himself on top of a demon, trying to hold it down. Jubilee and Tabatha Smith were firing off as many plasma bursts and projectiles as they could at the oncoming monsters. Sam Guthrie and Ray Crisp were both carelessly using their mutations in reaction to Roberto Da Costa being taken down by a horde of demons. Warren Worthington, also known as Angel, maneuvered through the ranks and landed by Jean and Cyclops, supporting Rogue in his arms.

"I was barely able to wrench those monsters off Rogue—This is a lost cause!" Angel replied as he slowly let Rogue down to stand on her feet, her arm still clutching him around the shoulders. Logan was slashing his way up the ranks with his adamantium claws. Hank McCoy leapt in tow.

"X-Men regroup!" Cyclops commanded as loudly as he could in the fray. Nightcrawler and Shadowcat appeared in a cloud of brimstone as the New Mutants did their best to fend off their attackers while running toward the main group. A few were lagging behind as they carried some of the wounded.

"Boy Scout, we're losin' fast here," Wolverine growled. "The younger ones are getting injured and we already lost 'Ro in Limbo…"

"I'm sure Storm is faring better than us Wolvie." Jubilee coughed from the smoke. Magma's arm was draped over her shoulder while Boom Boom was on the other side of the injured girl, helping to hold her up. The mutants heard explosions ahead of them, causing the ground to shake beneath them.

"Illyana, poor girl," Boom Boom sighed.

"Colossus ran ahead! I couldn't stop him. We need to get to Illyana before it is too late!" Shadowcat urged. The group of mutants froze in terror as a mass of indistinct figures approached them from the fog.

"X-Men, stand alert!" their leader bellowed again. The group began to brace for the oncoming demons. As the figures were becoming more distinct, the group of mutants relaxed their stance. Instead of finding a demonic horde, another group of mutants emerged from the fog, lead by a figure clad in maroon and purple. It was the members of the Brotherhood and Acolytes.

Erik Lehnsherr stepped forward. "It looks as if you X-Men need some help…"

Cyclops hesitated, reluctant to trust Magneto. Lensherr no doubt had his own motivations, but there was no time to analyze them. They had no alternative but to ask for help.

"Magik is at the center of Times Square and Colossus ran ahead to find her," Cyclops summarized. "Ororo is trapped in Limbo and Manhattan is overrun by demonic monsters."

The Acolyte Remy LeBeau strode over to Rogue who was now standing next to Angel. Warren was still holding onto her arm for support. "Chere," he gasped as he looked over her wounds. "If de Cajun came sooner, mon chere be safer than in de arms of this pigeon." Angel glared back at Gambit.

"Swamp rat—" Rouge rolled her eyes. "Angel rescued me—"

"Hey, we've seen these things before!" Fred Dukes, known as the Blob, pointed towards an unconscious demon.

"You X-Men can't even keep these demons where they belong! You're lucky we were there to save your butts at the dance, and now we'll have to do it again—" the speedster, Pietro Maximoff, sneered before being silenced by Magneto. His sister, Wanda Maximoff, gave him a condescending glare from her position next to him.

"These demons are not the same, they're from Limbo! Illyana Rasputin vas tricked into opening ze portal!" Kurt retorted. "You guys only show up after ve veakened the rank—"

Magneto strode toward Cyclops and Wolverine, raising his hand to smother anymore argument. "We will help your team hold off the demon mass and clean this mess once and for all."

"I can see Colossus!" Kitty cried out. The group turned as some of the smog dissipated. They watched as Colossus was rendered unconscious by a very large demon and his body was teleported deeper into the Square. "No!"

"It was one of S'ym's servants!" Jean affirmed. It was difficult for the mutants to forget the large purple skinned demon. He towered over the X-Men, three times their size, in Limbo. Now he was ravaging the city.

"Brotherhood! Hold the demon force back! Acolytes, with me," Magneto ordered as he levitated in the air.

"Wait! Where are you going? What are we—?" Cyclops started.

Magneto turned towards the group. "New Mutants, aid the Brotherhood team. X-Men, advance forward to Magik. Limbo awaits you," he commanded. "My team and I have other matters to deal with." He rose once again with the Acolytes joining him. Gambit reluctantly left Rogue to join the group as they disappeared into the haze.

"Cyclops, we want to get to Illyana as much as you guys do! Why do we have to stay here?" Jubilee complained. "Especially with them." She jerked her thumb in the direction of the Brotherhood.

"It's not like we want to work with you guys either, yo!" Todd Tolanksy retorted.

"We don't want you kids to deal with Limbo again," Wolverine grunted. "It's too much to handle."

Jubilee pouted.

Lance Alvers unleashed a tremor, rippling the pavement. It disoriented Cyclops and the other team members before the quiver pushed back oncoming monsters. "Come on, move it, Summers!" Cyclops hesitated for a moment then ran ahead, leading the other X-Men forward to the center of Times Square. Jean, Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Angel, Beast, and Wolverine followed behind him.

The team maneuvered around more demonic objects and terrain as the other teams tried to push back any of the monsters who got in their way. They progressed towards Magik as they dodged randomized attacks.

"There she is!" Rogue shouted. The group skidded to a halt as they stared at their unrecognizable teammate, Illyana. She was battling the large demon, S'ym, who had almost crushed her barely conscious brother, Colossus. She looked older and was covered head to toe in an ornate silver armor. Mysterious decorations and encryptions adorned the battle uniform creating a sinister medieval form. Fangs and demon-like features had corrupted her once pale skin and blonde hair.

Magik sliced with her mythical Soul Sword at the demon. Her attempts were unsuccessful as the demon kept healing himself from the wounds he received. He was becoming invulnerable.

"Alright, you know what to do," Cyclops stated before the X-Men jumped into action. Shadowcat lurched forward into the battle and grabbed the unwilling Colossus. She phased him away before the restored S'ym almost pounded him into the ground.

"Katya, my sister!"

"Stay down—she can handle him! You almost got yourself killed!" Kitty held his arm, stopping him from moving forward.

Magik advanced on S'ym with a massive bolt of magical energy. The demon sailed into a twisted skyscraper. He easily stood up with booming laughter and turned toward the X-Men. "Welcome, future slaves, to Earth's eminent downfall!" He raised his massive fists and slammed them into the pavement. The ground ripped into massive waves, causing the mutants to lose their footing.

"Always a pleasure, S'ym" Beast grunted as he, Cyclops, and Wolverine began the offensive attacks on the monster. The others provided the defense. Nightcrawler disappeared with a resonating bamf to Magik and teleported her away before S'ym could give her a deafening blow. Angel flew in to pull Beast away as he took the brunt of it.

"Kurt?" Magik looked at him with confusion. The events of the battle seemed to have hit her. "What have I done? New York…Earth…"

"You've done nothing wrong," Kurt reassured her. "You are saving ze planet."

xx

Elsewhere, the young man Sebastian Shaw, notoriously known as the Black King of the Hellfire Club, stood watching the melee from a roof top. A slight ways behind him stood the young woman Emma Frost. The White Queen was fidgeting with her semi-revealing white uniform, a grimace gracing her pale face. Her attention snapped towards the fog in the opposite direction.

Figures were protruding from the thick haze. Magneto became visible, followed by his Acolytes. The White Queen positioned herself next to Shaw. He was still gazing out over the streets. "It seems you have lost control of your young student, Erik?"

"Illyana was a student of Charles, I assure you," Magneto replied curtly. The Black King turned towards the man.

"Well if you had just allowed her to train at my Massachusetts' Academy, none of this would have happened, and—" Emma began. Shaw stepped in front of her as she scowled, folding her arms. Victor Creed sniggered at the girl.

"There was no need for your henchmen," Sebastian stated with a small leer as he looked over at the Acolytes.

"They get the job done, as you would know, Sebastian."

The group stood in a moment of silence. There was a blinding light which quickly disappeared, revealing a hellish massive green demon. His mighty wings stretched to their greatest length before folding onto his monstrous body. Gambit looked taken aback as his teammate, St. John Allerdyce, stumbled backwards. Sabertooth bared his teeth with his claws clenched. Magneto raised his hand again causing the mutants to compose themselves.

"Welcome, N'astirh," Sebastian Shaw greeted. The demon took his place amongst the group. "Let us commence. A battle awaits."

"There is no need," the demon breathed, "Let Magik and S'ym destroy each other. The Earth and Limbo as we know it will be mine for the taking." The others tensed. "Yet I am willing to share it between the three of us."

Emma looked even more irritated.

Silence fell over the group as blasts and explosions were heard in the distance. They looked over the edge at the battle scene below. "Let those foolish mortals blast themselves to the ground. They are the only presence in my way," the monster continued. "Once the rule has been transferred, I will dispose of them…"

"Do not act too quickly. There are some key players we may need in the future," Magneto warned.

"Join me, then? As allies we shall prevail," N'astirh urged.

Magneto stood silent for a moment as Shaw strolled to the edge again. Emma quickly followed. "Sebastian, are you positive you want to go through with this? You are making deals with a demon!" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

"I've already made my decision," Shaw replied abruptly.

"You don't know what this demon has on his mind! He could double cross us at any moment. Already so many plans have been unsuccessful. Do you even believe you will be able to handle this? There are enough power hungry madmen running around and look where that has led us—"

"Do not tell me what I can or cannot do!" The Black King commanded. The Acolytes began to peer around at the two quarreling club members.

"Oooh, Frosty's getting it," Pyro cackled.

"I am a high member in this circle too," Emma retorted. "I have an equal say in this! Your decision may be the end of us all, especially my students—"

"Your students?" Shaw's face contorted into a devilish smirk. "It was _your_ fault concerning the death of your precious Hellions—"

Emma Frost had snapped. Her arm coiled back as her fist clenched. The White Queen did not hold back as she punched Sebastian Shaw across the jaw. "I've had enough of this—I quit! Those X-Men could use my help; I'm not going to sit around with you conceited fools and let another massacre happen again!" The Queen stalked off into the fog.

The Acolytes burst out cackling as the Black King massaged his jaw. He returned a livid glare as he stormed back to the group. He thrust his hand toward the demon's and shook. Magneto stood still.

xx

"Foolish mortals!" S'ym sneered. He was ready to deal a massive blow onto Cyclops before Jean ran in front of him with a telekinetic shield. The demon began to hammer down on the invisible force.

"Move, Slim, I don't think I can—Oh no!" Jean yelled. Unexpectedly, her shield began to waver in and out. In an instant, the two mutants were sent sprawling backwards and the demon fell in the other direction. Jean unleashed a massive telekinetic blast, throwing many team members onto the ground.

Cyclops struggled to pull himself up. "Jean…?"

Jean looked absolutely bewildered. "I-I don't know?"

The demon stood from the rubble without any wounds visible. Wolverine released his claws and was about to charge the demon.

"Logan!"

He hesitated, hearing his name called from behind him. "Emma Frost—?" He was barely able to recognize the young White Queen before he was slammed into a building by S'ym.

The demon wasted no time in advancing on the girl. Emma was yanked to the side, and phased through the demon's immense fist.

"Move it or lose it Blondie!" Shadowcat grunted. "I have more important things to deal with than saving your Hellfire butt!"

"I've come to assist your team—" Emma began.

"We don't need your help," Kitty retorted. "We have enough enemies to deal with already."

"I am no longer a member…I have recently left my position in the club," Emma tried to remove the anger in her voice. The two paused their bickering as they watched another mutant get pummeled into the ground.

"I don't have time for this," Kitty grumbled. She spotted Colossus who was feebly attempting to reach his sister. She leapt after him. Emma transformed into her organic diamond form and began to follow Shadowcat into the fray.

Colossus clunked forward toward his sister. She stood, taken aback, next to Kurt. Magik looked on at the transformed Times Square and back at her teammates who were being injured by Limbo's creature. She gazed at her brother once more. "I am sorry, brother…" She lifted her Soul Sword into the air then slammed it into the pavement. The ground quavered as it ripped apart revealing a black void. The X-Men, S'ym, and Magik fell into the abyss.

xx

The group landed in a heap. "Darn ze's teleportation disks," Nightcrawler moaned under the groups tangled limbs. They all groggily stood up and gathered in their surroundings. "Limbo!"

"Not again…" Rogue mumbled. She tried standing up but the pain in her ankle caused her to stumble. Strewn on the ground, she grabbed onto the nearest rock structure. She paused. "What is _she_ doing here?" The group turned their gaze towards Emma Frost, who incidentally, Rogue happened to think was the rock. Rogue's hand was hovering over the other woman's foot, recoiling back as if she had touched something hot. Logan instinctively unleashed his claws as the other X-Men tensed up.

"Wait—I am on your side," the White Queen pleaded while waving her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "You may not trust me, but your focus now should be your teammates."

Magik was already ahead of them and running toward a high-backed throne, a twisted protrusion carved from stone. S'ym was nowhere to be seen. The mutants were left behind as Limbo's monsters began to circle them. Illyana swiped her sword again, creating a flash of light that surrounded the area. The illumination forced the monsters to back off on her command. The group followed the girl to the throne. To their shock, their fellow teammate, Storm, was standing off to the side of the stone.

"The Queen has returned," Storm said to Magik in a hollow tone, her eyes not focusing on anything particular. Ororo was also unrecognizable. The teenager seemed to have also aged. Her features were hard with an edge of demonic malevolence. Her strikingly white hair billowed around her frame.

"Stormy…" Wolverine uttered as he rushed forward.

Illyana stepped towards the throne. S'ym emerged from the darkness and pummeled the two with his invulnerable strength, throwing them back. He proceeded to seat himself on the mystic throne.

"Only I rule Limbo!" the beast bellowed. The once retreating inhabitants returned on the command of S'ym, enclosing the X-men once more.

The demonic Storm shot an uncharacteristic blast of energy at S'ym but she was left unconscious by his retaliating backhand. Wolverine began slicing his way through the other demons, trying to reach his fallen teammate. Colossus followed suit towards his sister with Shadowcat in tow.

"NO!" Illyana yelled as she again thrust her sword with all her might into the air. The metal was surrounded by a blinding light as she slammed it into the ground. A familiar black disk covered the grounds.

"Brace yourselves!" Cyclops ordered as Jean lifted herself, Beast, and Scott into the air. Angel grabbed Rogue, while Kitty began to walk on air, pulling Colossus with her. Nightcrawler teleported to Logan who was holding onto Storm. Kurt teleported them to the top of the protruding rocks.

Wolverine clawed into the rock, desperately holding onto Storm, as he and Kurt held themselves above the ground. Emma gripped the rocks surrounding her, only to feel her fingers slip as she was pulled toward the disk. Nightcrawler rolled his yellow eyes before teleporting to grab the White Queen.

S'ym began to turn on Magik who lashed out at him with her sword. They battled as the remnants of the Limbo inhabitants fell into the hole. The disk created vortexes of mysterious winds that encircled S'ym.

"You will not—!" the demon cried out. The winds became more forceful and dragged the two in different directions. "—rule!"

Magik struck out with her sword as a blast of power careened towards the demon. The demon ran towards the throne. Grasping the edge of the stone chair, he was able to grasp the magical energy and reflect it back towards the girl. Magik was forcefully hit and thrown to the ground. Her sword fell and skidded away from her limp hand.

"Illyana!" both Kitty and Colossus yelled, ready to jump down to their fallen teammate. Illyana did not stir.

"No, don't move!" Scott ordered. "The disks, we don't know where they lead!" It was too late.

S'ym began to laugh, increasing in sound as he looked around at the shocked and fearful expression of the mutants. His cackling resonated above the winds. The disks began to close as he headed over to the fallen girl, his eye on the weapon.

"No!" Kitty yelled.

To his surprise, one last gust of wind erupted from the closing disks, encasing the demon and dragging him away. S'ym scrambled, trying to claw his hands into the ground but to no avail, before he was taken into the abyss.

The disk began to shrink as the X-Men hurriedly lowered themselves to the ground. Just as Shadowcat lowered Colossus, he pulled away from her grip and ran toward his sister. She stood next to the vanishing disk unable to bring herself to move.

"Dear sister," Colossus called out to her. Magik was unresponsive. Colossus ran to his sister, drawing her up into his arms.

"I-I can't feel her mind!" Jean panicked.

"Illyana!" Colossus roared over and over again as he tightly hugged the limp form. In an instant, a blinding light covered them, and as it faded, so did she, leaving a crumpled heap of the eldritch armor Magik once wore.

Piotr pulled the ashen armor into his arms as Kitty ran toward him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Sh—she's…no…" Kurt ran forward after springing to the ground and dropping Emma unceremoniously to the stone floor. Logan had jumped down with Storm still unconscious in his arms.

"The teleportation disk," Scott staggered. "Everyone, we need to-" Jean took one of his hands and squeezed.

"We need to move it," Logan muttered. "The disk, it's closin' up." He started through the darkness with Storm's limp form. Kurt followed along with Beast. Angel held Rogue's gloved hand as they walked through together. Jean and Scott began to walk through the disk.

Kitty tried to pull her teammate up. He was still clutching the armor. "Piotr, we have to…we have to go. I-it's closing…" Kitty whispered. For a moment he stood still but then he slowly rose. Kitty latched tightly onto his arm as she guided him to the darkness.

xx

In Times Square, the New Mutants and Brotherhood were trying to keep the demon force back. The Blob had thrown a few monsters against the lurching buildings as Quicksilver sped down the streets trying to punch out as many as he could.

The Scarlet Witch hexed another monster into a demonic street lamp. Another was preparing to attack from behind but was glued to the concrete by green goo. "Nice save huh, baby cakes?" Toad hopped besides her. "How 'bout you give your rescuer a smooch?"

"No thanks," she growled, hexing Toad into another wall.

Farther down the street, Cannonball, Avalanche, and Boom Boom were battling their own creatures. A demon lurched at Boom Boom. "Let's dance, ugly!" She threw multiple energy bombs in all directions.

"Watch it!" Avalanche yelled as one bomb went off near him, unbalancing him. He was forced to balance on one foot when a large brown wolf sprinted past him, pushing him completely over. The wolf leapt and sunk its teeth into another red demon.

"Nice one, Rahne!" Jubilee yelled as she too was fending off multiple monsters. Berserker was about to blast another reptilian creature when a mysterious tunnel of wind swept the monster up. Other demons along the street were being haphazardly pulled away also.

The New Mutants and Brotherhood ceased fighting as they watched the demon horde shoot down the street towards an emerging black portal. They were all sucked in as another red tinted gust of mystical wind barreled through the whole area, restoring the demonized area to the original Times Square. The black void vanished.

"It's done?" Magma asked. The surroundings became normal once again. The smog had cleared, revealing a sunny blue sky. "Wait—"

"Now what?" Quicksilver moaned. Another disk appeared, and the New Mutants feared there would be another wave of demons. Instead, the X-Men team tiredly walked out. "Haha, yes! We've won!" Pietro sped over to the other Brotherhood mutants and began a barrage of taunts about how the Brotherhood had come to the rescue of the X-Men. He stopped grinning when he saw the looks of his other team members and the New Mutants. They were all solemn as they watched the X-Men return. No one even cared to notice Emma in their midst. Most had red rimmed eyes while some were still crying.

"What happened?" Rahne asked, not really wanting to know the answer. It became apparent as Piotr and Kitty were last to exit with the empty ruin of armor in his arms. "Ilyana. W-where is she?"

The band of X-Men was silent as Scott strode toward the other two groups. "She saved the world, but did not make it." Some of the New Mutants had broken down in tears while others tried to soothe their teammates. Tabby held onto a sobbing Rahne as Sam held Amara and Jubilee close.

A tear seemed to be streaming down Fred's face. He grabbed Toad and Wanda into a giant hug.

"Ugh, my spine, yah big marshmallow!" Toad complained. Wanda was trying to squirm away.

Kitty did not let go of Piotr as he paused. He stared at the armor, tears streaming down his face. Then a blinding white light caused both to stagger backwards. All the mutants turned their stares towards Kitty, mouths gaping. "W-wha?" Encased in white light was Illyana Rasputin's sword. It vanished for a moment and then appeared in Kitty's motionless hand.

"N-no, I d-don't want it," Kitty cried out. She stared down at the slender blade that was entwined with sleek iron that formed an emblazoned hilt. Colossus face became very grave. Kitty tried to place it gently on the pavement but as soon as she let go, it appeared in her grip once again. "It's not mine!" She then tried to throw it, but once again, it was in her grip.

"Keep it," Piotr said weakly. "It is now yours." Kitty buried her face in her arm as the sword dangled feebly in her other.

"The city's civilians are returning," Logan indicated lifelessly. Ororo was starting to stir in his arms, her features now normal. "We need to head out. You, come with me." He stared straight at Emma who quickly followed him away. Regular humans began to walk out into the streets and out of buildings with expressions of utter confusion. Most were muttering about what a strange dream they had about these monsters.

The mutants grouped up and began to trudge away. "I wish we could just wake up from this nightmare…" Jean sighed with grief as she held onto Scott.

xx

Sebastion Shaw and N'astirh awaited Magneto's reply. He stood stone faced. A mysterious blast of wind took them by surprise. Sebastian Shaw rapidly held onto the roofs edge as Magneto and his Acolytes braced themselves.

N'astirh had no such luck. "Argh! Help me!" The mutants held their ground without any flicker of movement. "You insolent fools! I should have known never to ask for aid from you treacherous mutants—" The intense winds swept the monster in the air as a black void appeared behind it. The demon vanished as the disk disappeared.

The winds ceased as Magneto and Shaw stood up. The Black King looked pleased. "One powerful player out of the game…"

Magneto eyed the young man. "The plan was to remove N'astirh from power. Earth is currently rid of demons. What else do you have up your sleeve?"

"None of your concern."

xx

High above in mountains of the Himalayas, a dark figure drew his cloak tight to shield himself from the bitter wind. The path was ragged and the cliffs steep. One mistake could be his last. The figure gripped the ice covered ledges, pausing to find a hidden entryway. The man slid quietly into the carved archway.

Mesmero pulled the cloak from his tattooed head. Weathered statues and structures cluttered the tunnel ahead of him. He froze. A light glowed faintly from further within the cave.

"Oh no, no, my Lord. I only meant—perhaps if we were to do it without the boy—" came an echoed voice. Mesmero crept up behind a crumpling pillar. He peered around the stone to see a hunched cloaked figure. He was holding a bundle of cloth in one arm and held another arm stretched out towards the wall. Light seemed to be emanating from an extended wooden baton. The hooded figure leaned closely toward the wall, examining the inscriptions.

"NO! The boy is everything, it cannot be done without him and it will be done exactly as I say," hissed a voice that seemed to come out of thin air. The light flickered as it flashed over other bronze statues. "The final step…"

"I will not d-disappoint you my Lord," stuttered the figure.

Silence fell into the cave. "Wormtail, why don't you welcome our guest?" hissed the unknown voice.

Mesmero released an intake of breath and cautiously stepped into the light. He hesitated under the stare of a scruffy little man who had features resembling a rat.

A blank expression fell over Wormtail. "Master, we must leave this place and never come back."

A dark chuckle erupted from the dark mass in his arms. "What is this, a muggle playing mind games? You seem to have taken over the thoughts of my servant."

The mutant stiffened. "Why are you here?"

"Wormtail!" The tiny man jumped from the hiss of the mass in his arms. "Gather our old comrades. Send them a sign." Silence permeated once more. Another hissing cackle erupted from under the fabric. "The Wizarding world will finally take what is ours!" Mesmero remained tense. "And why not erase the tainted blood that tarnishes our kind…"

"My Lord?" The mousy man replied.

"You know what to do. He must spread the word—but I was never here," whispered the mass.

"OBLIVIATE!"

* * *

******Thank you for reading and any returning readers who have awaited my return :) Comments and reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Recovery

**Sorry for this long overdue chapter! I'm finally getting back to writing this story and I hope you all enjoy what I have in store :)  
**

**Recovery**

* * *

Sebastian Shaw slammed his fist down on the ornate desk in front of him. The sound resonated through the room. "It has been conveyed that the crypt had allegedly been untouched for centuries!"

Mesmero stood before the Black King, drawing his hood back. A young woman in revealing black apparel stood off to the left of Shaw's shoulder.

"Sire, I did not—" Mesmero began.

"In addition, Vincent, you did not operate unnoticed! Now a new race of men have decided to show their faces and claim what they _believe_ is theirs!"

Mesmero straightened his posture. "Yet, do understand, Sire, that this faction is fragmented, there seems to be no obvious modus operandi. We may be able to—"

Sebastian raised his hand, silencing the mutant.

The woman behind him strode forward, resting a hand on Shaw's shoulder. "Sir, your options stand before you. It would be logical to take this deterrence and use it to your advantage."

The Black King eyed the woman. "There are many pawns in this game. We need to formulate the proper move."

xx

Ororo Munroe was perched in her seat before her mentor, Charles Xavier. A frown graced her face as she tucked her white hair behind her ears. "I am quite alarmed of my actions. It just felt so very foreign to me." She took in a deep breath. "It felt like such a haze, like a dream," Ororo looked down, distraught, "I just wish I could have done something—" A sad feeling wrenched the girl's heart as she recalled certain portions of her memory. Although she could not piece together a slew of events, what she did remember was heartbreaking. The previous battle had taken a toll on everyone close to her while she stood with no power to move from the throne's side. She let out a sharp breath, unable to get beyond the fact she had not helped her teammates.

"Do not blame yourself," Professor Xavier softly said. His voice had a soothing tone, as it had when she had first come to the institute. "It was not in your control."

"But, Professor, it felt like I knew what I was doing when I released that mystic energy. It was as if I had done it many times before. It was so strange, fairly different from what my mutation allows."

Professor Xavier folded his hands on his desk. He shook his head. _Could it be? _He furrowed his eyebrows. _No, it cannot be likely._ "It is quite mysterious, indeed." He pulled out of his train of thought as he leaned forward with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "Yes, it seems your power levels have changed considerably. The strength of a mutation is different within each person, and yours is quite extraordinary, but with skill, one can harness it. Yet, another aspect seems to be growing. I'm not positive, but—"

A clatter interrupted the two; the noise was not too distant from the desk. Charles paused as both he and Ororo searched for the location of the unidentified noise. They stood in silence for a moment.

The clanging sounded again. Ororo shifted her body to the side of her chair and peered around the Professor as her hair fell from her shoulder. "Er, Professor?" He turned to the direction of the window which outfaced the school grounds.

A medium-sized, spotted brown barn owl was hopping back and forth on the window ledge. It tilted its head and then began pecking on the glass once more with its beak. Held there was a crisp white envelope.

Professor Xavier reached out to undo the clasp of the lock and pulled the window open. The owl hopped in with a flap of its wings, dropping the letter into his hands. It stretched out its wings, managing to knock over a couple of paper weights. "Ororo, would you please locate Miss Frost. I require a word with her."

Ororo nodded halfheartedly as most of her focus was on the strange owl. Ororo could not quite place why the owl was acting almost human-like with its delicate care for delivering the envelope. The bird looked as if it had come right out of the forest, and yet it moved as if it had an important motive. She stood from her seat, not removing her eyes from the odd guest. Even as she made it to the door, she could not help but stare, as her head was unnaturally turned toward the desk. She watched as the owl swiftly exited from where it had entered through the window, before taking off into the air.

Once Ororo made her way out the door, Charles turned the letter in his hands, revealing the address:

Professor C. Xavier

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning

1407 Graymalkin Lane

Salem Center, New York

He turned the letter over, revealing a deep red seal imprinted with the letter H. Above it revealed a coat of arms depicting four animals surrounding another H. _Always in good timing. _Charles smiled.

"Sir?"

Charles glanced upwards as an image of a young woman dressed in revealing black apparel appeared before him. She wavered in an out, like a three dimensional hologram, until she became fully visible.

"Welcome, Tessa," he stated, smiling once more. "I see you have mastered astral projection quite well."

The woman walked forward, passing through the chair and towards his desk like a dark apparition. "Shaw has made a decision."

xx

Ororo briskly strode through the halls of Xavier's mansion searching for their unsolicited guest. Most of her trek was silent, as not too many students were wandering about the halls. Most were tired from the events that have occurred recently and spent their time lounging around in their dorms. There was a thick air of sadness.

Ororo could not help but feel guilty for what had happened in New York City. She angrily chided herself for being under a mystical influence for most of the battle. What made it worse was that it had also rendered her unconscious during the rest of the fight. She could have done something. _Why did I fall so easily to that particular possession?_ She headed towards the main hall to continue her search. _Was it even a possession at all?_

"Ororo?" a familiar redhead called.

The redhead had been walking past the corridor in a sort of daze. Ororo turned to the unexpected call of her name, finding Jean ahead of her.

Jean's emerald green eyes were strained with sorrow which quickly changed to worry at the sight of her friend. "Ororo! How are you feeling? Did it go okay with the professor?" Jean started to follow alongside her as they continued down the hall.

Ororo desperately wanted to put her task on hold so that she can fully disclose to her friend what had occurred. Her light blue eyes danced around the corridor. "My health has nothing to worry you about. I am feeling quite well, actually." She watched Jean's expression lighten a little bit. "Yet, there is just one thing that has been troubling me."

Jean leaned in closer. "Your encounter with demons scared all of us."

"I am very sorry for that. The cause of my confusion, well, was the fact that I was engaging in sorcery. The strange part is that it felt like an instinct performing it."

Jean paused for a moment stunned. "Did the professor discuss this with you?"

"He was not too sure himself but seemed to be heading on to something—well, you do know about my ancestry—but then this strange owl interrupted us."

Jean just barely realized they were moving around the mansion quite quickly. She slowed her footsteps which in turn, caused Ororo to slow slightly. "Where are you headed in such rush?"

"I have been asked to search for our pleasant house guest…"

Jean sighed knowingly, her face contorting into a grimace of disdain. "What could the professor possibly want to discuss with _her_?" She shook her head at the sour taste she felt in her mouth. Jean almost went into a full blown rant, but then she remembered a peculiar statement. "Wait, did you just say an owl?" The pitch of her voice raised slightly.

"Yes. I thought it was quite unusual for that type of creature to be flying during the day. Even adding to this strangeness, it was carrying a letter," Ororo added, chuckling.

"Wow, little messenger owls. People are training homing owls." A slow smile crept up on Jean's face. "What _has_ this world come to?" She laughed lightly. "First, crazy weather witches possessed by demons, then owls, and of course we can't forget our unwelcome villain taking up a dorm here—" Ororo playfully elbowed Jean for her first remark.

Ahead, Jean spotted Scott and Bobby exiting the Recreation Room. Jean's eyes lingered for a moment on Scott. Over the past couple of days, she felt a sort of fondness towards the slim leader. A warm feeling overcame her as she watched him brush his messy brown hair away from his ruby red sunglasses. He was conversing with Bobby and looked away for a moment. He had caught her gaze. Jean smiled meekly as Scott returned the same smile in her direction.

Ororo had a bemused look on her face as she glanced between the two. As quick as the pleasant moment had come, it left without warning. Her expression quickly faded. "Speak of the devil," Ororo stated dryly. She and Jean turned to find the White Queen descending the staircase ahead of them.

Jean put her palm to her forehead, shaking her head, as she found Emma in her usual, barely-there clothing. Emma held the gathering of her sleek white cloak, which hung off her shoulders, as she made her way down. She seemed to not care for modesty, as she wore a very low-cut, snuggly fit top that exposed her midriff. Her form fitting white pants sat far below her waist. Jean watched the young woman pass the Recreation Room, as the other pair of mutants exited.

Emma sauntered up to the boys. She placed her gaze on Bobby then moved onto Scott. "Would any of you boys mind helping me find my way around here?" She drew a strand of icy blonde hair behind her ear. A playful grin crept onto her face as she winked, causing Bobby to blush and Scott to fidget uncomfortably.

"Er—? Oh, Jean, eh—Ororo?" Scott stuttered, giving the two girls further down the hallway an expression of panic.

Ororo plastered on a weak smile and headed towards them. "There you are, Emma, the professor wanted to speak with you."

"Oh. I'm sure you, dear, would not mind showing me the way then?" She had placed a gloved hand on Scott's shoulder and smiled towards Bobby. Iceman nervously cleared his throat and glanced over to Ororo. Ororo gave him a 'she asked you' look. He cracked a sheepish grin before heading in the direction of Xavier's office. It took most of his efforts to keep his mouth from hanging open, or his body from melting if his mutation allowed it, when gazing at the woman's appearance.

Ororo watched the two retreating forms as Jean kept shaking her head. Scott was still ogling in the young woman's direction, only to snap out of it as he felt the condescending stares of the two X-girls on him.

xx

Logan exited the locker room and walked along the sub levels of the mansion. He paused for a moment, focusing in onto the echoes of an intense sequence being played through the X-Men's Danger Room. He could have sworn he had just turned the simulation off. He retraced his steps and stole a look onto the observation deck. He peered over the edge, spotting a small, lithe form. It was dodging various obstacles with speed and hostility. The figure leaped over a fallen pile of metal and dove strait through another, phasing her body through, as the machine electrically malfunctioned. He turned and went to enter the combat area.

Kitty dodged another blast from behind, feeling the presence of an oncoming automated robot. She phased her hand through the head, causing sparks to erupt from the machine and the mechanical figure to drop. She sensed another figure and did not hesitate before pivoting to do a roundhouse kick.

"Woah, woah, woah, Half Pint, easy," Logan stated as he barely stopped the girl's foot from hitting him squarely in the face. Kitty lowered her defenses, blowing the stray strands of hair from her face. He looked around. "Nice. I see you're not letting anything past ya. At this rate, we won't have any equipment to train with."

Once kitty stopped moving, Logan looked down at the girl. "Why are you down here by yourself? You should be upstairs with the rest of the 'em, relaxing."

Kitty looked down. "I'm just trying to get in some exercise," She mumbled.

"From the way ya took down some of those robots, I can see this isn't about exercise."

There was silence for a moment. "She was one of my best friends." Kitty quickly wiped away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek. She felt the empty void that came whenever the thought popped up. Memories of her dearest friend Illyana kept cutting deeply within her. She could not help but long for comfort.

Logan sighed. "She was. And it's tough to lose someone."

"I just need to blow off some steam." She turned away trying to conceal more tears that fell down her cheeks.

"There's nothin' to be ashamed of. We all grieve in different ways."

She took in a wavering breath. "I just miss her so much. I should have fought harder—"

"None of us were prepared for what was going to happen. Don't blame yourself, kid." He awkwardly leaned in, giving her a one-armed hug. "Come on. Why don't we go for a round? You can use me as a punching bag."

Kitty laughed gently. Before Logan knew it, she dropped through the floor and appeared behind him. She lightly jabbed him in the back, causing his muscles to tense up and eventually give out.

On the ground, unable to move, Logan chuckled, "Okay, I swear I'm not taking ya to Japan anymore. Next thing we know you'll be a part of some ninja society taking everyone one out before they can even spot ya."

xx

Emma Frost stared at the oak door before her. She did not want to think about what awaited her on the other side. She took in a breath and slowly entered Xavier's office. "Hello, Charles." She drew in a tight, painful breath. "I would like to thank you for allowing me to stay here, even after all that I have done—"

"The world is changing, Miss Frost. No need to dwell on the past. Only learn from it. Please, take a seat," Xavier said warmly, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk. Emma took her seat cautiously. "I'm sure you remember Tessa?"

From behind, the wavering image of the woman in black apparel appeared. She walked out from behind Charles. The sight took Emma by surprised. "Sage?"

"Hello Emma," Sage responded unemotionally.

"Why are you—when—but how—?

"Sage has been working as my inside agent ever since she entered the doors of the Hellfire Club," Xavier stated.

"You were always Shaw's '_go-to_'," Emma's eyes narrowed. "Almost usurping me. But how? You were always the one to push Sebastian in the most _logical_ direction."

"I was fully aware of what I was doing," Sage added without out an ounce of expression. "Charles, I will pull up what I was able to piece together." With that, Sage swiped her hand across her eyes, instantly revealing a pair of dark sunglasses. She lightly pressed down on the edge of her accessory. A projection appeared in front of her, exposing a holographic computer dashboard. She began tapping different areas, revealing files and shuffles of data. She pulled up an image of a mountain. "Shaw's last orders sent Vincent to this location."

xx

"I'm alright, sugah," Rogue repeated countless times as she watched Gambit's face contort in many ways. She was sitting on one of the Medical Bay's examination tables.

Beast stood at the monitor, pushing the frame of his glasses further up his nose. He scrutinized the x-ray he had previously prepared. "Well, you are sporting a nice sprain here, Rogue." He headed towards a drawer, pulling out a roll of bandages. He began to wrap her ankle, insuring its proper assembly.

She winced slightly, causing Gambit to jump immediately up to grab her hand for support. She could not help but chuckle at his actions.

She smiled recalling earlier events that lead her down here. Warren previously had helped Rogue down into the Med Bay when they had returned from Manhattan. She had been thankful for his aid, but was unable to fully express her gratitude before he had been rushed out. _Thrown out, _Rogue thought, may have been a better way to describe Angel's untimely departure at the hands of a certain Cajun. Remy had basically ran to the mansion right under Magneto's nose.

"Thanks, Dr. McCoy," she stated. She began to carefully lower herself down. Rogue started to limp towards the door but felt Remy tighten his grip on her arm. He was not going to let her stray on her own.

Beast chuckled. "You're very welcome! Now, I want you to take it easy. Elevate your foot from time to time. If it swells too much, come visit me again!" Rogue smiled and nodded.

"I'll make sure of dat," Remy promised.

"I got it, Remy, I can walk on my own now," Rogue scolded as Remy would not leave her side, making sure to have her use him as a crutch.

"Not on my watch!"

"No, no, really it's okay—!" she started before Remy swept her up off her feet and carried her out into the hall.

"Swamp Rat! Come on!" She laughed. Remy shook his head and turned her sideways, allowing the oncoming Amara and Ray to enter.

Ray did a double take watching the pair exit. "Hey, Mr. McCoy! You called me down here?"

Beast laughed as he turned off the x-ray monitor. "Yes, I believe Miss Aquila, as well as yourself, have some wounds to be cleaned and re-bandaged.

Ray moaned as Amara elbowed him. "Oh, you big baby, you can hold my hand again if you want."

"Hey! It really hurt. I have some big cuts y'know!" Ray held out his arms for proof.

"I believe you have nothing compared to Miss Aquila," Beast stated matter-of-factually. He cracked a smile. "Yet, she can take it like a true gentleman."

"Hey!"

xx

"He was determined to find a certain entity," Tessa continued. "Mesmero has failed Sebastian's orders."

"Did Shaw express what his intentions were?" Xavier asked.

"He did not," Sage replied. She expanded the hologram before her and focused in on a dark spot near the edge of the mountain. "He has only discussed his objective of locating this spot on this peak of the Himmalayas. He has been quite forward in some sort of crusade against certain races. It has been quite difficult to gain information that has not been shared with me."

"As you well know, Professor," Emma interjected, "the Hellfire Club has put in place formidable psychic blocks."

"Yes, I do understand," Xavier sighed, leaning onto his desk. "Emma, I believe you were engaged in a conversation during the battle at Times Square."

"Yes," Emma eyed the Professor. She took in a deep breath, scowling. "Well, as I have permanently left my position in the Club, I assume I can disclose what I have been led to find out. I was not involved in any recent decisions. Shaw seemed to have been making an alliance with the demon, N'astirh."

"This alliance did not last for long," Sage interrupted. She pulled up a profile and enlarged it to show an image of the familiar green demon crossed with a red X. "I estimate that the Black King has been cleaning the slate for something immense. He has currently come to a decision to strike down another race in his game."

"First, demons. What is his next target?" Emma folded her arms across her chest.

Sage pulled up another image. A figure appeared dressed in a dark long robe and a matching pointed hat.

"You have got to be kidding me." Emma began to message her temples. "He can't possibly think he can take down the human race? And why is he targeting a human in some ridiculous Halloween costume?"

Sage stared at Emma, pausing to scan her outfit, and then looked back up at the screen. "No, the standard homo sapiens are not one of his conquests at the moment. Are you aware of anything, Charles?"

"Hmm," Xavier pulled out the letter he had received earlier. "It may just be a coincidence, but I feel we may need a visit from a particular friend of mine."

xx

"Arthur! My goodness—you don't know how worried I've been!" Molly Weasley flung a copy of the Daily Prophet across the kitchen table and then threw her arms around her husband in the doorway of the Weasley's home, known as the Burrow. Her eyes were rimmed with red as her face contorted in expressions of worry.

"There _was_ nothing to worry about Molly," he said in the tight embrace.

Mrs. Weasley stepped around her husband and pulled her two sons, Fred and George, into a tight hug. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to let go.

"Mum—can't breathe—!"

"You can't honestly think for one moment I had nothing to worry about!" she exclaimed, pointing to an issue of the _Daily Prophet_. The title read, _Scenes of Terror at the Quidditch World Cup_. "What was I to do when there were 'rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen'?"

"Molly, we are perfectly alright, come on now," Mr. Weasley tried to calm her as he tried to pull her away from her sons. "Bill, hand me that paper, I need to see what it says…'

Bill sidestepped his mother, who was still clinging to Fred and George, to grab the paper. Harry Potter quickly followed behind trying to catch a glimpse of the front page. Hermione Granger, Ron, Charlie, and Percy Weasley, made their way through the doorway as Bill handed his father the strewn pages. An opened letter that was placed between the pages of the _Prophet _fell to the floor in front of Harry. Charlie quickly snatched the letter before Harry could even bend down to get it. The eldest Weasley son then sat at the table to read it.

Mr. Weasley skimmed the front page article. A crease formed on his forehead. "'Ministry errors…negligent security…Dark wizards running free…national disgrace'…What is this? Ah, Rita Skeeter of course."

"Ah! That woman has it in for the Ministry!" Percy proclaimed. He threw his arms in the air in contempt. "For the last three weeks she—"

"Perce, do us all a favor," Bill said in a monotone, "and go do another cauldron report or something."

"I need to head down to the Ministry," Mr. Weasley sighed, "I need to help set things straight."

"I shall accompany you, Father," Percy stated with bravado while briskly walking out onto the darkened front yard. "Mr. Crouch will need all his important men with him and—"

"—He'll meet you there!" Bill interrupted as he slammed the front door shut on his brother. Charlie stood up from his chair and handed his father the previously opened letter.

Mrs. Weasley dabbed her eyes again. "Children, why don't you go upstairs and finish packing your trunks for school."

"But we've already packed!" George protested as he and his brother stared at the back of the letter.

Bill pulled his wand from his pocket and made a quick swish. A pair of socks landed in his hands. "Oh look, you forgot to pack a nice warm pair of socks. We don't want your feet getting cold on those treacherous nights at Hogwarts, do we?" he stated as he whipped his wand towards his brother. The bundle hit him squarely in the head.

"Just go upstairs." Charlie rolled his eyes. With that, the kitchen emptied, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and their two eldest sons.

"It is a letter from Dumbledore." Mrs. Weasley's expression tightened. "Now this—you must read this Arthur."

* * *

**Thanks everyone for reading!**


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